The Vendetta

Marvin Albert (1924-1996) was a paperback pioneer whose writing career spanned over five decades, multiple genres and a handful of pseudonyms, including Nick Quarry. The Vendetta (1973) was his attempt to capitalize on the popularity of The Godfather.

The year is 1921, and prohibition has outlawed liquor in the USA, but that’s not stopping the good people of the (unnamed, but certainly New York) city’s Little Italy from enjoying a libation or two. Especially at an Italian restaurant where humble everyman Paolo Regubuto, age 30, waits tables. When a couple of liquor salesmen come into the restaurant looking to supply Paolo’s restaurant with bootleg alcohol from the Irish mob, he politely declines the men in favor of his own Italian supplier.

To send a message, the rejected salesmen return that night and explode Paolo’s restaurant with dynamite. This hospitalizes Paolo while killing his wife and kids who are in the basement apartment. Rather than sparking a mob war, no one seems to care much about Paolo, his family or his restaurant. If Paolo wants justice, he’ll need to find it himself.

Thus The Vendetta is born.

Things get extremely violent as he hunts the men directly and indirectly responsible for his family’s death. I’m serious here. This isn’t for the weak-of-stomach. Paolo also puts together a crew of young men from the neighborhood to help him in his crusade. The author essentially took the model of a violent war against the mafia adventure paperback, and placed it in a Godfather wrapper - and it works.

Paolo hunting and killing mafia bosses is the best part of the novel, but there’s also quite a bit about the conflicts between mob factions seeking control of bootlegging that was far less fascinating. But if you’re into underworld power struggle stories, you’ll probably enjoy it just fine.

But overall The Vendetta is a winner, and men’s adventure paperback fans will find a lot to enjoy in this thin, well-written novel. Recommended.